Spring socket terminal



L. REICH OLD SPRING SOCKET TERMINAL March 13, 1928. 1,662,335

Filed Ndv. 1926 Patented M... 13, 1928.

1,662,335 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUDWIG REICHOLD, OF WINSTED, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE FITZGERALD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF TORRINGTON, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 01' CONNECTICUT.

SPRING SOCKET TERMINAL.

Application filed November 26, 1926. Serial No. 150,832.

This invention relates to a spring connector or socket terminal'for use in connection with jacks for electric circuits, and is particularly adapted for use with the quick 5 detachable jack and plug connections for portable'electrical utensils. v

The connector of this invention is characterized by the small number of parts emloyed and the ease with which they may be I ormed and assembled and the security and firmness with which these parts of the jack en age and retain the pin of the pllug.

no form of the invention is s own on the drawings by way of illustration, in 15 which:

Figure 1 is a view of a part of the insulating sleeve of a double jack, showing two jack terminals according to the present invention.

Fi 2 is a side elevation of one of the termina s.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through such a terminal.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 5 is a section on an enlar ed scale.

Accor ing to the present invention, the jack element for the nick detachable connection is formed of ve parts'only in the illustrative form, comprising a base, a 00- operating plate, two springs, and a binding screw. The arrangement of the base and plate and the cooperation of the spring therewith, is of great importance in connection with the present invention: both the base and plate being symmetrical with respect to the median plane.

line 5-5 of Fig. 2, on

As shown on the drawings, a split insu- 4o lating sleeve has. one member formed with a channel 11 for the reception of the conducting cord 12 whose two conductor wires 12 and 12 pass severally through branches of the channel to be secured to the respective individual jack element A, A according to the present invention. At its other end, the-insulating member 10 has two separate apertures 13 and 13 to receive the cooperating plug elements '14 and 14 of the mating structure, in well known manner. The position and location of the jack elements A and A within the insulating member 10 is shown in Fig. 1, in which it will be seen that they are retained within an enlarged portion of the passage com- 'municating between the branches 12 and 12 and the apertures 13* and 13 which receive the respective plu s. These two units A, A are alike, and a escription of one of them will be sufficient.

As shown in Figs. 2 to 5, a base member is formed with a longitudinal arch to present a groove to guide and fit one of the plug pins 14 or 14 which is designated as 14m these figures. Extending irom this arch, as shown in Fig. 4, the member 20 has a flat flange 21 at each side of the arch, and thereafter an upstanding wall 22 which terminates with an inwardly bent guard 23,

.these guards projecting toward each other.

The walls and guards 22, 23 each have a slot 24 tl1ere1n'extending past the angle which oins these portions. The base 20 has a bell 11p 25 at the end for receiving the plug member 14, to guide this plug into its proper position. Each wall 22 terminates ata dis tance from the conductor at an edge which extends substantially at right angles to the flange or floor 21, 21 of thebase. A further pan of upwardly bent lugs 26 are provided 1n substantially the same plane as the-walls .22, and each present a forward edge in parallelism to the rear edge of the respective wall 22.

Between the lugs 26 at the rear or conductor end of the unit is located the bindmg screw 27. The respective conductor wire is wrapped about this screw and tightened in .the customary manner, the wire being held beneath the screw by means of the lugs 26.

The cooperating member 30 likewise is formed by sta-mplng an arch to present a grooveto accommodate the plug pin 14, and has the outwardly bent flat flanges 31 which in the assembled condition of the device are substantially parallel to the similar flanges.

21 of the base, and rest thereagainst under the impulse of the spring members S, S:

when a plug 14 is introduced between the arches 20, 30, the plug lifts the cooperating plate away from the base against the action of these spring members S, S and the flanges 31 are again brought into parallelism but at a spaced relationship to the flanges 21: at all times being guided by the walls 22 against lateral movement. At its rear or conductor end, the cooperating plate 30 is provided with outwardly extending lugs 32, 32 which project between the aforesaid edges of the lugs 26 and the walls 22 of the base 20, and are guided thereby so that the coopcratin r memher is prevented from moving longitudinally forwardly and baeluvardly with regard to the base, but is permitted a free movement of relative separation therefrom for the purpose of accommodating the plug pin. The front of the cooperating plate 30 has a guiding bell 35.

The springs S, S are provided with the long downward arms 10 which extend along the upper surface of the fiat flanges 31 of the cooperating flange, and each is guided between the respective wall 22 of the base plate and the arch of the cooperating plate 30: this portion of the spring is thus revented from moving laterally. Intermet iate its ends, each sprin is preferably bent into a complete convglution 41, and then further bent until its other arm 42 extends forwardly in substantial parallelism to the lower arm 40, and at this end is bent upwardly and then downwardly to form a cusp 43 which projects into the respective slot 24, and thereby is held against a movement in a plane at ri ht ang es to the axis of the plug pin 14. Tile spring tends to force this cusp 43 upward into the slot 24, and owing to the angle of the cusp, this spring is held likewise against a. movement parallel to the axis of the plug pin 14 during the normal operation of the device. It is preferred that the loop 41 and the gap between the wall 22 and lug 26 should correspond in location, so that a. part of the loop may be received within this gap, whereby space is conserved in the width of the device as a whole.

When the separate parts have been prepared, the device ma Y be assembled in the following manner: T18 front or plug inlet end of the cooperating plate 30 1S slipped beneath the guards 23 of the base, and the cooperating plate is pushed forwardly until its lugs 32 slip into the gap between the wall 22 and lugs 26 of the base. A spring S is then placed with its long arm 40 pressing loosely upon the top of a flange 31, and the spring is compressed until its cup 41 slips beneath the respective inwardly projecting guard 23 of the base: the spring is then moved until its cusp snaps into position in the slot 24. A similar operation is performed with the other spring S. The bind ing screw 27 may be inserted either before or after the above assembly. The device is now complete and ready for assembly in the insulating member 10 and for connection to the terminals of the conductors 12.

The device is dismounted in a similar manner by compressing the springs until the cusps slip out of the slots and the spring may be disen aged from the projecting guards 23.

It is o vious that the invention is not limited to the specific form of execution represented, but that it may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A socket terminal comprising a base having lateral upstanding walls and an inwardly bent uard in spaced relationship to the base, said guard having an aperture, 0. cooperating plate guided by said walls, interengaging means on said base and plate to prevent relative longitudinal movement, and a spring having its end engaged in said aperture and adapted to resihently force said plate toward said base.

2. A socket terminal comprising a base having lateral upstanding walls and inwardly bent guards in spaced relationship to the base, lugs on said base havin their front edges in spaced parallel relationship to the rear edges of said walls to form gaps, a cooperating plate guided by said walls, lugs on said plate located in said gaps to prevent longitudinal relative movement of said base and plate, and'coil springs havin extended ends respectively engaging sai plate and guards to force said plate resiliently toward said base.

3. A socket terminal comprising a base having lateral upstanding walls and a In parallel to and beyond one wall at one en thereof, said wall and lag having parallel adjacent edges and being separated by a gap, a cooperating plate having a lug located in said gap to prevent relative longitudinal movement of said plate and base, resilient means to force said plate toward said base, and a binding screw on said base adjacent said lug, said lug also serving to hold the conducting wire beneath the head of said screw.

4. A socket terminal comprising a base, having lateral upstanding walls and inwardly bent guards, said guards having slots therein, a cooperating plate having an arch to provide a plug-receiving groove and lateral flanges and being guided against lateral movement by said walls, springs having arms resting on said flanges and havin cusps to engage in said slots whereby to hold said springs against movement and to force said plate toward said base.

5. A socket terminal comprising a base, a plate and two coil springs, said base having walls to guide said plate against lateral movement, interengaging means on said base and plate to prevent relative longitudinal movement but permittin movement to and from each other into substantially parallel positions, whereby to receive and engage a mating plug, said springs being guided by said plate and walls against lateral movement, and means on said walls to secure said springs against displacement.

6. A socket terminal comprising a base having lateral upstandin walls and lugs parallel to and beyond sai walls at one end thereof, said walls and lugs having parallel lugs, the head of said screw extendin subadjacent edges and being separated relastantially to said lugs, so that sai lugs 10 tively by gaps, a cooperating plate having serve to hold the conducting wire beneath laterally projecting lugs located in said gaps the head of said screw.

5 to prevent relative longitudinal movement In testimony whereof, I aflix my signaof said late and base; resilient means to ture. force said plate toward said base, and a binding screw on said base between said LUDWIG 'REICHOLD. 

